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EASTCHESTER, N.Y. – The Eastchester School District has been forced to close the turf field on the high school campus after an inspection last week exposed safety concerns.

According to Eastchester Schools Superintendent Walter Moran III, he and Athletic Director Jason Karol found that the connecting seams, which run along the width of the field in five yard intervals, have begin to lift, posing a safety hazard for students and community members.

The turf field, which was installed in 2002, is used by district sports team, physical education classes and members of the community who get exercise during the day.

Similar fields typically last between eight and 10 years. While the field is closed, the track around it will remain open.

“Since it was installed in 2002, the turf athletic field has served the district and community well,” Moran said. “It has been a source of pride and a tremendous resource for many different organizations during those 11 years. The turf field is also used throughout much of the school year for classes and middle school recess.”

In recent years, the district has found short-term solutions for problems related to the field. Moran said that at this point, it is important to find a more permanent answer for the turf field.

Sports contests that were scheduled to be played on the turf field will be moved to the facilities at Haindl Field, with certain games getting rescheduled. Gym classes and recess will take place on the grass field at the high school instead. Moran added that the Board of Education Facilities Committee will meet this week to determine the next steps in regards to the turf field.

Bronxville resident Stacey Davis, 58, who was power walking on the track on Tuesday, expressed relief that while the field is closed, the track will still be accessible.

“There’s a small group of us that use the track almost every day to either walk or run in a nice, safe environment,” she said. “It’s probably frustrating for the school, but at least they didn’t have to close the whole thing down.”